If you've read our review of the PowerSkin for iPhone 4 you know our position on battery cases for the iPhone 4: if you want a battery case for travel, you should really get a 2000mAh capacity battery for doubled runtime of your phone. Anything less is good for daily topping up. Mophie makes battery cases for both occasions; the mophie juice pack for the iPhone 4 with 1500mAh battery, which is great for topping up on a intense gaming day or video calling day, and the mophie Juice Pack Plus with 2000mAh for you to take on the road. The mophie juice pack plus for iPhone 4 adds an additional 8 hours of talk time for your iPhone 4 and over 10 hours of video play, and the case design allows the battery pack to function like a speaker box as well.

Design

The mophie juice pack plus for iPhone 4 comes in molded form to fit the iPhone 4. The case has a bit of curve on the back, but it has the same thickness with the phone inside as the PowerSkin. The mophie juice pack plus has a soft touch surface that feels good in hand, and battery case is hard and protective. It has a plastic band surrounding the iPhone 4 and it comes in a variety of colors. The top part of the case comes off a rail system and it allows you to put your iPhone 4 in and take it out without any struggle. The case has soft rubber lining on the interior and will not scratch your iPhone 4 and help absorb shocks and bumps while your phone sits in the case.

Features

The mophie juice pack plus for iPhone 4 has cutouts for the 30-pin connector, the audio jack and the silence button as well as the rear camera and flash. iPhone 4?s volume buttons and power button are under clearly marked covers that work very well. The Mophie Juice Pack Plus fits both the AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 models as the cutout for the silence button can accommodate both positions. Since your iPhone 4 connects to the battery case via a 30-pin connector, it creates some space below the phone. Mophie has turned this space into an audio enhancement opportunity, providing two audio outlets and redirect the sound from the bottom of the iPhone 4 to the front. The result is a much louder and richer sound quality.

The 30-pin connector on the mophie juice pack plus case supports power and data, so you can charge and sync your iPhone 4 while it?s in the case using the included USB/microUSB cable. You can charge the iPhone 4 and the battery pack using a computer or the AC adapter that comes with your phone. With your iPhone 4 in the case, the mophie juice pack plus will let your iPhone charge first; and if you are using your phone while plugged in the power, the mophie juice pack plus will pass the power to the phone and trickle charge the battery pack.

The battery pack takes about 2-3 hours to charge from empty to full using an AC charger, but slower via a computer. The mophie juice pack plus charges the iPhone 4 at 500mA and can fill the iPhone 4?s battery from 1%-100% within an hour. The mophie juice pack plus battery pack has smart battery technology built-in with short circuit and prevents over charging. The Lithium Polymer battery has over 500 full charging cycles.

Like with the PowerSkin, you can turn the mophie juice pack plus on and off. But the mophie juice pack plus has a switch that?s easier to use. Your iPhone 4 can still sync while the battery case is turned off. The mophie juice pack plus also has 4 LED battery status indicator, and unlike the PowerSkin, these LEDs do indicate how much power the battery pack has, more lights flashing when it has more power.

Conclusion

The mophie juice pack plus for iPhone 4 is a great choice if you need to be on the road for a few days and don?t know how often you will have access to a power outlet. It?s highly functional as a case, protective and light weighing 3 oz., and you can sync and charge without taking your phone out of the case. The battery doubles your talk time and can power your iPhone 4 through a day?s use. The case has a subtle look for a battery pack and comes in different color bands for more style. If you like to play multimedia and games with audio blasting, you will love the sound enhancement the mophie juice pack plus case has for your iPhone 4!